Spring-wheel.



A. AMSLER.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 29, |918.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

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A. AMSLER.

SPRING WHEEL.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 29, I9Ia.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

narran sTnTns PATENT sumen.

ALFRED AMSLER, OF RHEINBHL, SCHAFFHAUSEN, SWITZERLAND.

SPRING-WHEEL.

Application filed November 29, 1918.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED AMSLER, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, residing at Rheinbhl, Schaffhausen, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Wheels; and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to spring wheels having spokes rigidly connected at one end to the hub or wheel rim respectively, while their other movable end is guided in a snug manner in the wheel rim or hub respectively.

The object of the invention is to provide a spring wheel the construction of which enables the spokes to bend yieldingly in all directions and which provides for such a guiding of the free end of the spokes that they are adapted to incline in all directions towardthe wheel rim or hub respectively, so that the spokes alone are adapted to absorb shocks transmitted in the plane of the wheel as Well as such directed transversally to said plane.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as will hereinafter be more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings in which similar parts are designated by corresponding` numerals: y

igure 1 is partly a side view and partly a cross-section taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2 of a wheel according to this invention.

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section thereof showing some parts in front view;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section through a detail and Fig. 4 a cross-section on the line IV--IV of Fig. 3. l .Y

Figs. 5 and 6 show a detail of a second embodiment of the invention, Fig. 5 being a section o n the line V-V of Fig. 6.

Figs. 7 and 8 show diagrammatically the manner of the operation of the improved wheel illustrated in Figs. 1-4 and shown in these two figures in two dilterent positions.

Fig. 9 shows a part of a further c'zoi'stru'eA Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 18, 1919.

Serial No. 264,590.

tion of a wheel to which the present invention is applied.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the axle on which is mounted the hub 2 of a wheel. 3 is the rigid wheel rim or felly of the wheel and 4 are the spokes of the wheel equally spaced about the hub 2. The spokes 4 are straight and they are adapted to bend yieldingly in the direct-ion of the plane of the wheel as well as transversely thereto. They extend between a flange 5 of the hub and an annular plate 6 radially from the hub 2 to which they are rigidly connected; they can be thus considered as girders ixed at one end to the hub.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1-4, the outer ends of the spokes 4 extend into radially arranged casings 7 of the felly 3. Into each casing 7 is screwed a cylindrical sleeve 8. The outer end of each spoke which is not ixed to any part of the Wheel, is of cylindrical shape and has grooves or recesses 9 extending in its axial direction. Into each groove 9 is put a round body which in the embodiment shown has the shape of a ball 10. The balls 10 are in snug contact with the inner wall of the sleeve 8 and they are provided for guiding the spokes 4 on the sleeve 8. 11 designates a tubular member provided with apertures taking up the balls 10, so that it forms a cage for the balls 10. The described design provides for a snug guiding of the movable end of the spokes. 12 is cap of flexible material, such as leather, rubber or the like. This cap 12 is for closing the ball race or beiring in a. tight manner toward theoutsi e.

13 designates a flange provided on the tubular member 1l. Said ange 13 admits only a limited displacement of the member 11, thus preventing the balls 10 from coming out of contact with the inner Wall of the sleeve 8.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 1-4, the wheel comprises fourV spokes 4 distributed equally over the circumference of the wheel. When the wheel assumes the position shown in Fig. 7, the load acting on the axle 1 causes a bending of the two horizontal spokes 4, their free ends being disF placed within the sleeves 8 and being caused at the same time to incline therein. In this position of the wheel the two vertical spokes 4 are not bent; they are only displaced within thesleeves 8, helping therebyto prevent the hub 2 tol giveway 'in a horizontal direction relatively to the felly 3. When the Wheel assumes for instance the posities spokes upon the latter;i 'Theire'si'iltant of the saggings of the two pairsof spokes is consequently`v proportional to the total load transmitted by the hub to the wheel and it has 'the same direction as the direction in which said'total load acts. 'From this tollows, that theliub is depressed or caused to sink always tothe same amount when the hub load remains the same, whatever the momentary position of the Wheel relatively tothe road may be.

suitable shape may be given to the crosslsection ofthe spokesl il, proyided that it'isl such 'to enable the spokes to take up shocks'occurring in the plane of the wheel as well assuch acting transversely to said plane. In order that the splok'esfcan sagas as possible and to iii-orea'sc conse-l quentlyfthe spring-action'of the wheel, the crees-sectional area of lthe spokes 4 must decrefase'htoward thet wheel rim, yas is the case inthe yembodiment shown in Figs. l-L The ratio- .Off the ,bending moment referred to the 10611111 'Qf Slipper? ofthe guided end of 'the spokes toA moment of resistance to any cross'fsection must be a constant one over the whole jlength"of ythe spokes. When this'is the case, tlifespokes bend'after an arc. of a ciircle andthe maximum stress to Which thel material of the spoke is subjected is the same 'in all cross-sections.

second embodiment of the invention illustrated ,in Figs. 5 and 6, the sleeve 8 hasv fourribs'll extending in its axial direction. 15 denotes a ball adapted to lroll be tween thenribs'll. The amount to which the ball lis able to rmore relativelyv to the ribs Iis)limited` one end of vthe sleeve 8 by projections `16 and at the other endby the edges 17A y.of 1S iota distancering 19. The end ofeaohfsp'oke 4 terminates Iin four arms QOVsurrounding'ball l5. Itwill be seen,

thatKA this second embodiment a 'Single ball effects the guiding' of the' end `or the Spoke on ith telly' ofthe wheel yand that the movablhl .0f *911s Spek@ iS also guided in a Sills and @.fjlebs mannerf she ln, the improved wheel'is provided with four spokes; the number` ofv sppkes can also be, however, ya multiple yof four, the vmanner of operation ofthe spring' wheel being not altered in 4any way in such a case, provided that the four spokesr belonging together arey always arv,at"iiiiht`angles with regard to one @9121er- When thfeeilmbsr, or ,sppks is great, they can be made thinner7 so that their sagging is consequently greater, while the stress to which the material is subjected remains the Same.

vThedescribed constructions of the wheel admit a bending of the spokes not only in the plane of the wheel, but also out of said plane, so that lateral shocks transmitted to the wheel are also taken up by the spokes a'lonef" In the embodiment shown in Fig. 9, the spokes are rigidly vconnected at one end. to thef'telly, while'their other end vis adjustably guidedon the h ub.`y Theguiding of the,r free end of the spokes in thehub is effected in just the same manner as 'it' has been described with'regard to the tree endv adapted 'to move yon the telly. In'this enibodiment the cross-sectional area of the spokes 4 decreasesy gradually fromthe outer tothe inner ektrtfunitiesthereof;V

" What I claimnow 'as my Ainvention is :V

l. A wheel ofthe Character speeiii'ed, com# prisin'g a hub, 'a fellygaplurality ofspokes arranged radially about the'fhub'Y and rig- 90 idlyf'c'onnec't'ed at neendV t0 onel of saldhf wheel parts,- 'and means carried bythe other one nof `said r'st mentioned twoI Vwheel v`parts and acting as 'guides'or the free endmof the spokes sothat the lattena'reenabled to 95 bend 'resiliently in all directions and t'oQ-incline in all directions relatively to thewheel part carrying said means, the spokes being thus adaptedtotake upshocks occurring nin the plane of the wheel aswell as'rs'uch di" rectedcifosswis'ethereto.

` 2. 'A wheel ofthe character speciiied,co1n-l prising a hub', afelly, a`t p lural`1ty of spokes arranged Aradially about the hub and rigidly connected'at one end toone of lsaid 105 wheel parts, guiding means carried byflfhe Y other one of said first mentioned two'wheel. parts, and rolling members cooperating Vwith the free ends of theV spokes and said guiding means', the free ends of' the'spokes Abeing 110 guided in a snug manner on said `mean's`,v so that 'the spokes 'are enabled to bendv resili'entlyf in` all directions and to inclineV in all directions relatively to the wheel part carryingi'said guiding'means; 3. Aiwheel ofthe character'speciedcomprising ahub, a felly,a" plurality offspokes arranged radially' about the hub Aand rigidly connected'f at onekendito oneofsaid f when paas,- a' 'Sieve in @sensation Wallach 120 Well et the eiser@ n@ 4. A wheel of the character specified, comprising a hub, a elly, a plurality of spokes arranged radially about the hub and rigidly connected at one end to one of said Wheel parts, a sleeve in connection With each spoke, and fixed to the other one of said first mentioned parts of the Wheel and being arranged radially thereto, balls inserted into grooves provided in the free end of the spokes, a member mounted Within each of said sleeves and adapted to move relatively thereto and acting as a support for the balls inserted into the grooves of the spokes, said balls being in snug contact With the inner Walls of the sleeves, and means for limiting the relative movement between the sieeves and the members mounted Within them.

5. A Wheel of the character specified, comprising a hub, a felly, a plurality of spokes arranged radially about the hub and rigidly connected at one end to one of said Wheel parts, the free end of the spokes having a cylindrical shape, a sleeve in connection With each spoke, and fixed to the other one of said first mentioned parts of the wheel and being arranged radially thereto, cages mounted on the cylindrical ends of the spokes and adapted to slide in the longitudinal direction of said ends and provided with apertures, balls inserted into grooves provided in the free end of the spokes, said cages acting as supports for the balls in snug contact with the inner Wall of the sleeves and each of them being provided Witha flange adapted to coperate With the sleeve surrounding said cage for the purpose of limiting the relative movement between the cage and the sleeve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name.

ALFRED AMSLER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C, 

